Interweaving Comfort
by scarlett-hued-shimako
Summary: Small vignettes that focus on the relationships among Shimako, Eriko, and Sei and how offering comfort to someone can be the most helpful and beautiful thing in the world.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Surprised that I've published two stories within twenty-four hours? As am I, but I'm spending this Winter Break finally editing stories I've written in the past few months so hopefully you'll be seeing more in the near future.**

**As for this story, it contains small vignettes that look into the relationship between Eriko, Sei, and Shimako because they are my favorites and because there isn't nearly enough narrative that focuses on Eriko. The story contains some spoilers for the novel that aren't mentioned in the anime so you've warn.**

**As always, read and review and enjoy!**

**Interweaving Comfort**

**Chapter One**

Sei Sato wondered briefly if going to Lillian University was a good idea. Of course, she would be within teasing distance of Yumi and she would be close enough incase Shimako ever needed her, but those were hardly the reasons of why she chose to continue on Lillian's path toward maidenhood. While she could delude herself into thinking there were other grander reasons such as superior schooling or location all she could come up with was that she had procrastinated and Lillian was her only choice.

Which was fine.

She glanced at the other end of the table where Eriko was sitting. The yellow rose looked on amused as she listened to Yumi and Yoshino talk about god knows what. Eriko would be going away. Not too far, but far enough that she wouldn't be visiting as often.

Sei wondered if she would miss the girl, the only person she managed to remember all throughout grade school. Perhaps she would on occasion, but Sei doubted she would ever yearn for her presence like she did with Shiori. But to be frank, Sei doubted she would yearn for any of them in that capacity. Perhaps Shimako but for reasons outside of Sei's control.

"What are you doing for your mother's day, Yumi-san?" Yoshino's voice broke through Sei's reprieve. While irritated, Sei listened on with mild interest.

"I don't know," Yumi sighed. "I want to show her how much I care and how much she means to me."

Yoshino patted Yumi's back, a mischievous smile on her face. Sei watched Eriko and noticed the girl's strained smile.

"I wouldn't recommend cooking for her, Yumi-san. Judging from the chocolates you made for Sachiko-sama for Valentine's Day, you might end up killing her."

The room exploded into laughter except for the three roses. Youko met Sei's eyes in worry before glancing at Eriko, who turned pale white, eyes glassed over. Before anyone could ask, Eriko stood from her seat and slipped out of the room.

Youko made movements to follow the yellow rose, but Sei was already up and heading towards the door. As Sei walked out the door, she heard Youko sighed before addressing the group. "I guess we'll be starting the meeting without them…"

Once away from peering eyes, Sei sprinted after Eriko, not caring is she dirtied her skirt or not. Nor did she ever really.

She should have interfered in the conversation, teased Yumi or something else. But Eriko had looked all right, and Sei still wasn't sure when to and when not to protect her friends.

As Sei opened the door, she found Eriko crying outside, trying her best not to run away and regain her composure, but when she saw Sei, she flew into the taller girl's arms. The action startled Sei, but she held her and offered sweet words as she ran her fingers through the brunette's hair, anything to comfort her.

After a few moments, Eriko pulled away, wiping her eyes on her sleeves.

"I'm sorry Sei. It's just that sometimes I think that if I had never existed she would still be alive." Eriko confessed, slightly embarrassed to be in this position. "If I had never been conceived, my brothers and father would still have her."

"But your mother wanted you, and if someone as special as her wanted you that must mean something." Sei cooed as she rearranged Eriko's headband tenderly.

"I know, but how do you deal with being the reason the person you love isn't with you and never will be again?" Eriko pleaded.

Sei hardened her eyes, knowing what Eriko was referring to, but she took in a deep breath anyway. She couldn't blow up at Eriko, especially now.

"Those aren't the same things, Eriko." Sei replied coolly.

Eriko nodded her head. "I never meant to say they were. It's difficult to accept and even more difficult to know that it'll always haunt you."

"These things happen, and you can blame God if you believe in him, but that won't help. There's never a reason really and because you were the catalyst doesn't mean it was your design so you shouldn't be blaming yourself as hard as you are Eriko. It happened and try to move on as best as you can."

Eriko raised her eyebrow.

"And how easy has it been for you to take your own advice?"

Sei smirked sadly, hand running through her hair. "It hasn't, and it won't."

"You shouldn't blame yourself either Sei." Eriko placed her hand on Sei's arm. "Shiori-san wouldn't have wanted you to."

"Perhaps."

They stood together in silence, not looking at anything in particular and definitely not at each other. The wind swept through and rustled their skirts, though neither of them particularly noticed.

After a few moments, Eriko straightened her shoulders and broke the silence.

"I guess I should be heading inside."

Sei looked at Eriko in concern. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"What's being more of a rose than hiding your emotion behind a cool mask of aloofness?"

Sei smiled wearily. "Someone should tell Yumi-chan that."

Eriko sobered at the thought. "I hope to God no one does."

Before Sei could respond, Eriko walked inside. Sei stood, watching the door, thinking of Eriko when a familiar presence neared itself.

"Onee-sama?"

Sei turned and saw the concerned face of Shimako. Sei smiled fondly and ruffled the younger girl's hair.

"I'm fine Shimako. Just a little worried about Eriko."

Shimako nodded and grabbed Sei's hand and held it in her. Sei could tell that Shimako wanted to ask what was wrong, but it wasn't in her nature to do so.

"It has to do with mother's day." Sei offered.

Shimako nodded slowly. "Did her mother pass away?"

"Yes, and she blames herself for it."

"Her mother died during conception."

Sei nodded solemnly. "She did."

Shimako bit her lip, and Sei squeezed her hand. "Poor Rosa Foetida."

"Yeah."

"Well, we can't stand here forever. I wouldn't hear the end of it from Youko." Sei teased as she led Shimako inside.

As they walked up steps, careful not to make any unnecessary sounds, Sei hoped that Eriko would be all right. That she would be all right. But when Shimako grabbed her hand half way up the stairs, interlocking their fingers, the warmth that spread through Sei's existence told that she was going to be just fine.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Eriko Torii hugged her cardigan closer to her body despite it being almost eighty degrees outside. She couldn't remember the last time she visited the cemetery so close to Mother's Day. She remembered going once when she was eleven or twelve without her father, determined to spend time with her mother alone. But the numerous patrons rooming the grounds and the incessant chatter that went along with it put Eriko off for visiting the graveyard for years to come. Though it was guilt that held her rooted.

Mostly, she just wanted to be alone.

As Eriko walked along, she made sure to keep the flowers she purchased earlier from getting smashed within her arms. She had contemplated getting her mother yellow roses, but she thought the idea was too self-absorbed. She settled on red roses instead.

Her mother was once Rosa Chinensis after all.

Eriko always thought it was funny that she ended up being Rosa Foetida instead of Rosa Chinensis. When she was in her early years at Lillian, she thought she would follow in her mother's footsteps, but then Youko moved into Lillian during middle school. While they competed very briefly at the beginning, they began to admire each other as well. Then Eriko began to be courted by Rosa Foetida en bouton while Youko was being courted by the Rosa Chinensis, and though Eriko was at first put off by couplings, she realized that she didn't want to follow her mother's path. She wanted to forge herself a new path on a yellow brick road instead of red.

When Eriko and Youko entered to student council, they finally became friends as well. Eriko liked the red rose well enough. She wondered briefly if they would still be in contact after they graduated.

As she approached her mother's grave, she saw a figure crouched down by he tombstone. Neither her father nor her brothers had mentioned anything about visiting the cemetery and as she approached closer, it was very obvious that the person was a female.

When the figure stood up and turned around, the moment of shock turned into intense anger.

"Sei told you didn't she?!" Eriko yelled as she rushed towards Shimako, causing the younger girl to take a few steps back. At the younger girl's nervous nod of conformation, Eriko clenched her fists.

"Dammit Sei. She thinks she's so high and mighty above Youko and me because she doesn't meddle, but here she is meddling. Shimako, this isn't okay. I understand that you want to do something, but this isn't okay."

Eriko lost steam towards the end, the fight leaving her as she watched Shimako's worried eyes. She studied Shimako, and though the girl was way in over her head, she stood rigid, not in defiance but every humbled. Shimako jutted her chin a few graves away.

"My mother is buried over there."

"Oh," Eriko breathed out.

"Once when I was younger, your mother's grave caught my attention. She died on my mother's birthday, and since then, I always stopped by to say hello. I didn't know she was your mother, but interesting how things work out." Shimako recounted, adding a small smile in Eriko's direction.

Eriko looked at Shimako, studying the way the future white rose looked at her with understanding instead of the usual pity.

"How did your mother-"

"She passed away a few days after giving birth to me. Complications from labor I think." Shimako stated matter of fact but a tinge of rue laced in her voice.

Eriko smiled sadly. "We have that in common so it seems."

"So it seems." 

After a few moments of silence, Shimako began to walk. "I shouldn't interrupt any longer and I still have to see my mother."

"Would you like to grab tea afterwards?" Eriko blurted without thinking. She didn't want to leave things as they were, and she had so many things she wanted to say and to hear.

Shimako, however, didn't look surprised. She looked pleased. "That sounds lovely."

Eriko watched Shimako walk away until the younger girl had found her mother's tombstone. Gripping her fists, Eriko heard the rustle of the plastic and remembered the flowers. As she crouched to set them down, she saw fresh yellow roses.

Shimako had left them there.

Eriko let out a dry sob before attempting to restore her composure. She wanted to strangle Shimako. She wanted to hug her, and briefly, she thought Shimako was truly Sei's petite soeur.

"Hi mother." Eriko greeted before kneeing at the grave, not caring if she dirtied her skirt.

"I guess you've met Shimako. She's the Rosa Gigantea en bouton, Sei's petite soeur. Even though how Sei managed to nab such a sweet little sister is beyond me, but they work well for each other."

Eriko clenched her skirts, breathing small jagged breaths.

"I'm sorry I don't visit more often. Life just keeps happening, and then I feel guilty for moving on without you."

"I'm about to graduate in a few weeks. I'm going out of the city spread my wings a little. I won't be able to see you as much, maybe twice a year at most."

"I want to apologize, but I think you would hate it if I do. I just wish things were different. Maybe in some other universe, we're together and I'm happy for that Eriko. I love you, but I don't know you and I never will. Maybe it's the not knowing that hurts the most because it's a part of me I'll never be able to know. Father tells me I look like you, but that we have completely different personalities. I wondered if we would've clashed often."

Eriko paused to smirk. "I would have loved a challenge."

"It's two days before mother's day, and it's all right that you're not here. I wish you were, but life sucks sometimes."

Eriko stood up as she dusted off her knees. She touched her face, feeling the track of her tears. She rolled her eyes at her own sadness.

"Bye mother, I hope you're at peace, and I hope you're not disappointed in me."

Eriko kissed her fingertips as she caressed her mother's name.

Reiko Torii.

Eriko felt light as she walked away and so very heavy. She stood a couple of feet away for Shimako to finish, but the younger girl beckoned her to come closer.

"Mother, this is Eriko-sama. She's with me on the student council. She's Rosa Foetida."

Eriko bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Toudou."

"We're going to get tea, but see you next time."

Shimako turned to leave with Eriko following suit.

"Thank you," Eriko said after a moment of silence. "For the flowers."

"It seemed appropriate." Eriko looked at Shimako out of the corner of her eye and smiled fondly.

"My mother was Rosa Chinensis when she was at Lillian." Eriko said, noting that she caught the younger girl off guard.

"Oh" was how Shimako responded.

"Since I never had the chance to know her, I always imagined she was a conglomeration of the red rose family. I imagined she had Youko's tenacity and Sachiko's gracefulness. Recently, I've entertained that she had Yumi's warmth."

"It's hard to swallow, the not knowing part." Shimako offered, wisely.

Eriko nodded. "It is. You don't feel the guilt?"

"No, I just think of it as something that happened. I was raised on the fact that my birth parents were dead."

"Both of them?" Eriko further inquired, hoping to keep the pity and surprise out of her voice.

"Yes, I was adopted by my paternal grandparents." Shimako said as if commenting on the weather. Shimako's nonchalant-ness perplexed Eriko.

"Is that why Sei told you about my mother?"

Shimako strained her lips, brows furrowed in concentration. "She doesn't know. I really don't know why she told me."

Eriko felt uncomfortable and slightly please that she was the only one within the student council that knew this information.

"Have you thought about telling her? It wouldn't burden her, and knowing Sei, she'll appreciate the confidence even though she'll never show it."

Shimako smiled in agreement before sighing. "Because my parents taught me that my birth parents died at such an early age, I didn't think it was a big deal. I never addressed it with Onee-sama not because I thought it was an issue but more because it never came up."

"Oh," Eriko responded, not knowing what else to say. For the first time that year she felt like she was an underclassman and Shimako was an upperclassman.

"But my situation is different. Ah, we're here."

They both stood outside a small café near the cemetery.

Shimako went in first then Eriko.

After they got their beverages, they sat by the windows at the back.

They spoke, and for the first time, in a long time, Eriko felt warm and believed that perhaps, everything was going to be all right.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Shimako Toudou enjoyed early mornings despite the fact that the temple's patrons allowed her little sleep most nights. The serenity that flooded Tokyo between night and day brought stillness not only to Japan but also to Shimako's mind.

She found those mornings to be the best time to pray. However, the left side of the temple was currently being remodeled, and the workers came right around that time Shimako would have begun her prayers. The machines would disturb the serenity she needed, and after making the workers tea like a dutiful daughter would do, Shimako decided to head to Lillian early. She did not want to linger when her presence could be a distraction.

When she entered Lillian's gates, the emptiness, while surreal was comfortable, and for the first time in a long time she felt completely at ease on the school grounds. As she walked along the paved path, Shimako recalled that the doors to the campus' church always remained open so when she came across the road's juncture that's where her feet led her, but not before stopping and praying at Maria-sama's stature first.

She entered the church a few moments later, and stood at the center, admiring the way the early sunlight illuminated the stain glass windows. Before she let too much time escape, Shimako walked to the front pew, knelt down, and began her prayers.

She prayed for good health and calmness. For her parents both living and dead. She prayed for her brother and her temple's patrons, and she prayed for each one of the student council by name. She lingered a little longer on Eriko, praying that God could help ease her mind. She ended with Sei like always, though she knew the older girl wouldn't appreciate the prayers.

As she began to conclude her prayers, she heard the church door swing open. Startled, Shimako stood up and whipped her head towards the intruder.

Satou Sei. Rosa Gigantea. Her Onee-sama.

Though surprised, Shimako smiled warmly. "Gokigenyo Onee-sama," Shimako greeted and was about to make a small quip about Sei praying and the apocalypse coming, when she took in Sei's expression. Pained, haunted, and entirely too pale for her liking.

Sei mumbled a greeting as well as she sank into the pew nearest to her. She looked on straight ahead, a clenched fist to her mouth, eyes firmly shut in pain.

Not knowing what else to do, Shimako went to Sei's side and sat down next to her. They weren't the type of soeurs to discuss things that matter so Shimako took Sei's free hand within her own.

Shimako felt Sei's initial flinch at the contact before Sei gripped Shimako's hand with all her might.

Shimako bit her lip to suppress a pained groan from escaping her lips. Her bones felt like they were being melded together, but she couldn't make a sound. Sei needed this from her. She wouldn't let her Onee-sama down.

Almost when the pain became unbearable, Sei loosened her grasp and gently massaged Shimako's hand with her own, showing a tenderness that melted Shimako's heart. Without saying a word, Sei kissed Shimako's palm before gently holding the hand in her lap.

Shimako watched on as intrigued as she was worried. Sei turned to her and smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry. Déjà vu can be quite painful."

Shimako nodded briefly. "That's all right."

Shimako sat there as Sei held her hand for minutes or hours or perhaps just seconds. She watched Sei out of the corner of her eye. Sei stared straight ahead, expression blank.

Before Shimako could worry too much, Sei sighed.

"Do you remember awhile back when everyone thought I wrote that book _Forest of Thorns_?_"_

"I do."

"Did you ever read it?" Sei asked.

"No, I didn't see the point."

Sei smiled warmly before her eyes darkened again.

"Have you heard of Shiori Kubo?"

"Briefly."

"Do you know the story?"

"No, and Onee-sama you don't have to tell me it-"

"I want to tell you." Sei cut off.

"Okay."

"Okay. I loved her and she loved me, but then she had to leave because she wanted to go to the convent and she couldn't take me with her." Sei released a pained sigh. "It hurt, Shimako."

"And this is where I met her, and this is how I met her, early in the morning while she was praying alone. It was too sudden and too much and I'm sorry for freaking out."

"Don't be," Shimako soothed. "Is that why you came here this morning?"

"I think so, but to be honest, I don't know why I do most things." Sei said, self deprecatingly.

"Thank you." Shimako said genuinely, squeezing Sei's hand in the process. Perhaps they weren't the type of soeurs that were extremely close, but moments like these were all the more precious because of it.

"You're welcome." Sei said in return.

"So," Shimako began after a lull in the conversation. "I was raised on this not being a big deal, but Rosa Foetida made me feel like it was."

Sei chuckled lightly. "What is it Shimako?"

"My biological parents died when I was still a baby, and I was adopted by my grandparents."

"You're birth parents are dead and the sky is blue. No biggie." Sei replied nonchalantly, with indifferent swipe of the hand no less.

Shimako smiled despite herself. "I'm glad you're so blasé about the fact that my parents are dead."

Sei laughed. "That's what I'm good for being inappropriately blasé about most things."

Instead of responding, Shimako laid her head on Sei's shoulder, feeling light and content. They stayed like that until class started and perhaps a little bit afterwards as well.

Shimako didn't mind though. She felt everything was going to be all right in the end.


	4. Chapter 4

**Epilogue**

Even though there were five minutes before the meeting began, Youko considered staring it early in order to distraction from the current scene. Shimako sat next to Eriko, which wasn't in itself strange, but when Yoshino brought up mother's day, Eriko looked at Shimako in gratitude. Going so far as squeeze the younger girl's hand.

Then Shimako openly teased Sei, not subtly like she always did, but rather very obviously and judging from the joke a bit crass.

Strangest of all, Sei actually complemented Eriko in a non-back handed way and Eriko didn't tease her for it. Instead, the yellow rose gave Sei a grateful smile and thanked her genuinely, with sarcasm for faux sincerity.

Youko was out of the loop.

But as she saw the three women look lighter, happier, more genuine, she thought that perhaps she was safe in leaving them behind.

Everything would be all right.

**FIN**


End file.
